RECIPE: MOIST FRUIT CAKE

Ingredients

Soaked Fruit Mixture:

• Black Raisins - 200gm

• Yellow Raisins - 200gm

• Mix Fruits - 320gm

• Rum - 180ml

Fruit Cake Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 180gm

• Baking Powder - ½ teaspoon

• Ground Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon

• Ground Nutmeg - ¼ teaspoon

• Kosher Salt - 1 teaspoon

• Softened Unsalted Butter - 115gm

• Brown Sugar - 160gm

• Eggs (room temperature) - 5 nos

• Freshly Grated Lemon Zest - 1 tablespoon

• Freshly Grated Orange Zest - 1 tablespoon

• Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice - 120ml

• Apple (peeled and coarsely grated) - 1 nos

• Almonds Nibs - 90gm

• Soaked Fruit Mixture as shown above

• Chocolate Chips - 100gm

Instructions:

1. The Day Before Baking: Combine the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl. Add the rum, cover, and allow the mixture to soak at room temperature for a minimum of 12 hours, or ideally 24 hours prior to preparing the fruit cake batter.

2. Prepare the Fruitcake: Preheat the oven to 150°C with a rack in the center position. Set aside two 8x4-inch baking pan.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together over medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating just until each egg is incorporated. 

5. Over low speed, slowly add the flour mixture until just absorbed. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Add the lemon zest, orange zest, fresh orange juice, grated apple, almond nibs, soaked dried fruit mixture (along with any liquid if it hasn’t already been absorbed), and chocolate (if using). Stir mixture with a large spatula, scraping the edges and bottom of the bowl several times, until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated. It is a very thick, fruit heavy mixture.

6. Transfer and divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans. Use an offset spatula to smooth the batter into an even layer. Set the loaf pans on the center rack, several inches apart from one another. Bake - rotating the pans halfway - for 75 to 90 minutes or until the batter is set and the tops are golden brown. The edges of the cake may also start to pull away slightly from the edges of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely before removing from the pans.

7. Storing and Aging: Once the cake has cooled, carefully remove the cakes from the loaf pans and set upright. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 to 8 weeks (it can often last even longer). You can serve this cake right after it has cooled, but the flavors improve greatly with time (I recommend several days or up to a week, at minimum).

   
   

THIS RECIPE CONSIST OF LIQUOR, FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT CONSUME LIQUOR, IT IS NOT COMPULSORY TO ADD IN BAKING RUM IN THE RECIPE